Jean Baudrillard: cynism or truth?

Abstract

Baudrillard: a journey through his worksJean Baudrillard was one of the leading intellectuals of the twentieth century.Baudrillard, who died on 6th March 2007 in Paris, conceived an acute observation and, on many occasions, complex, ambiguous and difficult interpretation of contemporary society for him (and us). Reassuming the observations that revolve around the French philosophy's simulacra concept during the 1960's1, Baudrillard focused his attention on the relationship which is established between this concept and the vast, symbolic horizon produced by the simulative condition present in society.Considered as being the father of the simulacra concept and according to this author, postmodern society is differentiated from the previous period, the modern age, because of its being organised in compliance with a new, simulation logic and on the continuous interchange of images and signs. Differently, in fact, from modern society, which was structured according to the linear and precise production logic; current society is based on the proliferation of codes, models and signs and the new rules dictated by simulation.Some, important thematic nucleuses and perspectives emerged from his analysis and shall be expanded upon below.1. Illusion1.1 The value - signBaudrillard penetrated into a reality, which is like simulation, dominated by the sign, emptiness and nothingness, with the supremacy of bodies as appearance. Society is a game of appearances and signs, which creates artfulness and illusion, through a journey, which likens it to magic and make-believe.Baudrillard's analysis begins with an observation on the birth and development of consumption, as being an important, social language (Le Systeme des Objets, 1968), like something that pushes the continuous birth and growth of individual desires, in a never-ending vortex. Baudrillard studied how individuals perceived and consumed objects, according to a new language created by the consumer goods, themselves.In his observations, he classified objects into three different systems.1. The functional system that includes things with a univocal and immovable purpose, which includes furnishing. In fact, in the case of furnishings, items of furniture are set out according to strict directives, each item is placed in a precise position and defined on the basis of the human relations symbolising it.2. The marginal or non-functional system, containing collection, design and antique items. The latter is a system in which consumer goods stop being exclusively tangible goods, but represent a mental space, with a value established by the relationship of this object with the individual himself.3. The meta and dysfunctional system, which includes gadgets and robots. In this case, the function of the object is concluded through the automatism, which defines its degree of perfection. This system represents the object's dreamt personalisation: the most beautiful object to imitate.This perspective focuses attention on the objects' sphere of relations, consumer goods, which represent a coherent system of signs, which weakens, little by little, the material nature of primary needs. The new opaqueness of production and consumption social relations is thus materialised in the goods that, due to this reason, may become a sign.Accusing Marxism of placing production at the heart of social analysis and, in this way, not fully reflecting middle-class society (Le miroir de la production, 1973; Oublier Foucault, 1977), Baudrillard introduced the value-sign, which takes the place of use value and exchange value (Pour une critique de l'economie politique du signe, 1972; Le miroir de la production, 1973). As occurs in the present-giving system, the exchange object has now a value that is removed from its functional matrix and exchange value, but which is established by the object's symbolic value. In relation to the gift, in which its value is established by the relationship between the individuals, in the consumer society, the good's value is the result of the individual's relationship with the object and the object with all the other objects. …